It is a story of perseverance and living as much as it is a murder-mystery and a book of philosophy (the latter inevitably a book about death). It is bewildering and deep without being dense, and I feel it is everything Snicket so idolizes when he expresses a desire for us all to read mysterious, bewildering literature that turns stories into magic. Into literature.

To listen to the wisdom of The Mitchells vs. the Machines, we’re all a little weird, too. And that’s great.

See the world a little differently and deeply, through natural talent or a dedication to preserving the ephemeral romance of life.

Staring up at these works reminds me that there’s some worth in just making something.

Some rest on a sunlit rock, looking at the trail behind and beyond. Maybe write a poem or two, if only in your head. Take a picture.

We’re on the verge of a near year of life.

With luck, another year of progress.

Justin X. M. Corriss reflects on the top five stories of 2021!

I feel like Beautiful World, Where Are You is the friend who comes over with shots to comfort you. It is potent and cutting, an immaculate encapsulation of that sense of the world ending, of friendships ending, of standing at the edge of a new age and clinging to whatever is nearby and familiar to keep yourself feeling you.

Some opinions and insights into how I think of chapter names!

Listen to a Free Audiobook of “Plague: A Prologue,” written and read by Justin X. M. Corriss.